Pole vaulting prodigy Olivia McTaggart has well and truly backed up the billing of New Zealand's next track and field star after a huge performance at the Potts Classic meet in Hastings.
McTaggart, who hails from Auckland's North Shore, broke Rio bronze medallist Eliza McCartney's 4.20m meeting record with a personal best of 4.40m, just .05 metres away from McCartney's New Zealand under 18 record.
Meanwhile, in other events, Angie Petty won the women's 800m race for a record eighth time despite not leading the race until the very last lap.
In a time of 2:03.67, Petty came home almost two seconds quicker than early leader Katherine Marshall and just .24 seconds outside her meeting record from last year
The men’s 800m was won by Australian record holder Alex Rowe in a meeting record 1:48.06 ahead of fellow Aussie Andre Waring and Otago’s Sam Bremner who recorded a personal best of 1:52.08.
Jacko Gill produced some excellent throws in the men’s shot put and the Olympic finalist came away with a best of 20.30 to improve his own meeting record by 0.24.
The women’s shot put went to Reta Blinova with 15.54, another new meeting record.
Zoe Hobbs (Auckland) ran a very good 11.78 to take the women’s 100m final in a close finish with and Veronica Pereira (Singapoer) 11.78 and Georgia Hulls (Hastings) 11.80, while Zac Topping took a surprise win in the men’s 100m final with a personal best of 10.72.
Invercargill’s Marshall Hall with a throw of 55.95m took out the men’s discus from Alex Parkinson in a new meeting record, while Te Rina Keenan won the women’s discus with a best of 56.52.
Newshub.
